Uncategorized

Chef Phil Pretty featured in Ateriet on becoming a chef, why coming home to Long Beach is great & much more.

“In a year that saw millions participate in the Women’s March and the debut of empowering films like “Wonder Woman,” an event that showcases Long Beach restaurants is putting women in the spotlight.

The emphasis makes sense, as women lead several of the restaurants participating in this year’s Dine LBC, which kicks off Saturday and ends Aug. 13, offering food deals at more than 50 Long Beach eateries. Diners will be able to get prixe fix dinner deals ranging from $15-$65 that cover the culinary gamut, from Latin, to Thai, American, Italian, to Asian and all sorts of fusion cuisines.”

“Restauration — this lovely neighborhood spot is perfect for lunch or dinner. My favorite place to sit is in the back garden surrounded by greenery. The menu is simple, yet creative, with solid offerings at reasonable prices. One of the best in LBC.”

“Hey, Long Beach foodies! The most delicious week of the year in the LBC is rapidly approaching – do you know where you’re eating yet? Dine LBC is August 5-13, and here are my top 10 Restaurant Week picks:

Restauration – This is another favorite spot in terms of ambiance – I could sit forever in Restauration’s spacious garden patio. And let’s be honest, if I’m gonna spend a long time somewhere, the food must be good too. Restauration is serving up some of the most creative dishes in town! I love the brunch here – make sure to order the Duck Confit + Waffle, the Freedom Toast (French toast topped with ice cream!), and the Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich.”

“My favorite time of the year! It’s restaurant week in Long Beach! Dine Long Beach starts on August 5th-13th! Yes, nine days of dinning deals. I LIVE for dining out, trying new dishes, sipping on some wine and of course having a romantic date night with JB. (Especially at cute mom & pop restaurants!) There are so many different trendy cuisines in this tasty city! From Thai food, steakhouses and even vegan options,there is a taste for every bud and a price for any budget. Jb & I dined at two out of the fifty something restaurants that are participating in Dine Long Beach.”

Customers at Restauration restaurant are ordering with their smart phones. In the restaurant.

“It just started in the last six months,” owner Dana Richardson said. “They’re getting pictures from social media and showing it to staff, saying, ‘I want that.’ The only drawback is because we’re constantly altering our menu to reflect seasonal ingredients, the picture might be of something we’ve taken off the menu.”

Also new is the covering over one of the nicest patios in the city. It’s still open air and there’s no longer that direct sun to deal with.

It’s a dog friendly patio with benches along two of the walls, a wood burning oven and numerous planters where fresh produce are grown and harvested to use in the food.

Philip Pretty is one of the best chefs you never heard of in L.A., quietly cooking exceptional food at Fundamental in Westwood. A Long Beach native, Pretty jumped at the chance to work near home when he got an offer to partner with Dana and Rob Robertson, owners of Retro Row’s Restauration. And Long Beach’s culinary scene is very much the better for it.

Pretty is committed to sustainability, growing some of his produce in the wall garden lining the patio dining area, procuring as many organic, local ingredients as possible, and creating lots of beautiful plant-based dishes, from the cauliflower steak to the excellent Farmlot 59 salad. His lack of pretension is particularly refreshing. Sure, he can fancy it up, as he does with the lovely and superbly flavorful composition of asparagus, leeks, Burrata, hard-boiled egg, walnut pesto, and a sherry-bacon dressing. But he’s equally committed to doing a good job with the simple pleasures: a burger (beef or falafel), a pizza (meatball or rapini), a market-vegetable omelet for brunch. He doesn’t always nail it—I was very disappointed in a bland gnocchi with mushrooms and Parmesan one night—but most of his menu is terrific, the sort of cooking that had me wishing I lived within walking distance.

A Long Beach native, Chef Pretty has traveled around Los Angeles for the last nine years serving as executive chef in notable kitchens, including fundamentalLA and AXE. He also served as Chef de Cuisine with Gordon Ramsey at The London and Sous Chef at Joe’s in Venice.
At Restauration, Chef Pretty continues to create unique comfort food cuisine using only the freshest ingredients with local farm lots, farmer’s markets and other local purveyors.